The books children read

I happened upon this website on series books for children while searching for series books I read when I was a kid. The Sacred Heart Academy (later Sacred Heart School when the nuns left) library was a  random collection of books that began in the late 1800s. A rather larger portion of their holdings seemed to be dedicated to series books that were already vintage when I began checking them out. While I read Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary and all the Little House books,  I also read these old books, mostly because I thought the covers were interesting.

I didn't get through all of Tom Swift (I dropped of after they introduce Koku) but I read all of the Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess books and Cherry Ames, Sue Barton, Nancy Drew etc...One thing that impresses me now is that this school library even had the UK series books featured on the website.

The school underwent several major overhauls and last I heard these old books were boxed up and stored in a room for several years before finally being tossed (along with several rotating aluminum Christmas trees). They were considered outdated and I guess they are to some extent. I remember how they made modeling, nursing and stewardess jobs seem really awesome. Times changed fast before I arrived on earth, thank goodness. When I was reading Tom Swift there were no home computers or cell phones. I could still relate to many of the stories in a world with typewriters and  mimeograph machines still around.

I have to say my favorite books were not part of a series but a genre of teen pulp books that were scattered around the shelves. I remember Gang Girl by Wenzell Brown and D for Delinquent by Bud Clifton the most. I didn't think anyone really knew what was in the books after I read such titles as  My Darling, My Hamburger by Paul  Zindel. Somehow they  found their way into a Catholic school library in a small town and managed to remain without any controversy. I'd like to think our librarian was just open minded but more than likely no one had really checked out anything from that library for several years.

Del Rio News Herald 1981